The present invention relates to a vehicle protective window and, in particular, to a vehicle protective window that is bullet resistant and mounts inside a vehicle door to provide protection for the occupants.
Making a vehicle bullet proof by using steel plates and very thick safety glass is well known. Applications of such armor proof vehicles range from protection of presidents and the highly visible wealthy people to military personel. Obviously, the construction of armor proof vehicles, using steel plates, etc., was very expensive and costly to operate, because of the added weight that required beefed-up tires, heavy suspension systems, increased gas consumption and the like.
With the advent of modern plastics it is possible to provide transparent plastics that are bullet resistant. Such plastics include aliphatic and alicyclic urethanes, plexiglas, polycarbonates and others.
Prior U.S. patents directed to transparent plastic window panels include the McDonald U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,855,898 and 3,923,339. The McDonald patents are directed to full armor after market protective panels for vehicle doors and windows. The entire inside of each door is covered with bullet resistant transparent plastic panels. Each panel is permanently attached to a door, forming a shield from the vehicle floor to its headliner.
While McDonald addresses the dangerous situation present in most urban areas, most people would not want to have the full armor protection offered in McDonald. In particular, there is a feeling among the general population that such full armor is demoralizing and demeaning. Also, encasing the inside of the vehicle with armor is cumbersome and confining to ordinary people. Of course, ordinary people do occasionally enter dangerous areas where protection is prudent. On those occasions a removable or permanently installed window protection offers security.
The present invention overcomes the prior problems associated with armor protection of vehicles. Most urban situations involving guns, include a criminal element which is inexperienced in marksmanship. Often the criminals use small caliber automatic weapons that they randomly shoot, The most important area of the body to protect is the upper body and head; therefore, a window shield which covers those vital areas is paramount. The window shield of the present invention does just that.